Backpack with integral skirt

ABSTRACT

A combination backpack-garment in which the garment is an external tubular skirt with an adjustable, selectively closeable waistband secured to the backpack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Combination backpack-garments are known to the art in which a jacket is housed within the backpack for deployment and wear by the user (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,699,560 and 5,165,111). The present invention relates to a combination backpack and a permanently attached, depending wrappable garment, namely a skirt or tutu.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Backpacks are worn every day by female students for transporting school supplies, books, and personal goods. The present invention relates to improvements in backpacks designed to enhance their appearance and usefulness, especially to children.

The new backpack-skirt essentially comprises a backpack having spaced front and rear wall panels, side walls extending between the front and rear walls to define a closed storage space, a selectively openable zipper or hooked and looped fastener (Velcro®) to provide access to the backpack interior; and a pair of shoulder straps affixed to the front panel.

In accordance with the invention, a wrap-around tubular skirt is secured to the backpack rear and side walls, The skirt has opposite free ends which may be wrapped around the wearer of the backpack and then fastened together by an appropriate closure.

Thus, the wearer of the backpack has a tubular skirt covering her mid-body while she wears the backpack. Advantageously the skirt can be aesthetically coordinated with artwork applied to the rear panel of the backpack. For example, an image of the upper body of a ballet dancer will be joined with a skirt in the form of a tutu. Viewed from the rear, the image is of a dancer with a tutu while the front view would be the backpack wearer in a tutu.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and better appreciate of its advantages, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings taken in conjunction with the following detailed description of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the new combination backpack-skirt;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the backpack and closed skirt with its relationship to a wearer shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the backpack and non-closed skirt with its relationship to a wearer shown in phantom;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the new combination backpack-skirt 10 comprises a backpack 11 with a skirt 12 fastened thereto along the rear wall 13 and side wall 14 of the backpack. A web loop carrying handle 29 may be secured to the backpack in known manner, if desired.

The backpack is of conventional construction having a closed inner storage space defined between the rear wall 13, front wall 15 and side wall 14 (which includes top and bottom portions 16, 17 closing off both the top and bottom of backpack). An openable/closeable zipper closure 18 provides selective access to the storage space.

As shown in FIG. 2, padded shoulder straps 20, 21 are fastened to the upper portions of the front wall 15 and are reinforced by transverse strip 22. Adjustable straps 23, 24 sewn to the bottom of the front wall 15 link the lower ends of shoulder straps 20, 21 to the backpack through buckles 25, 26.

In accordance with the invention, the skirt 12 is in the nature of a wrap formed on one of more layers 30, 31 of dress fabric attached to a circumscribing waist band 32 fastened to the rear wall 13 and side wall 14 by stitching and/or adhesive (not shown). The skirt 12 has a first free end 33 and a second free end 34 which are overlapped and selectively fastened to the waistband by elongated strips 35, 36 of hooked and looped fastening tape (Velcro®) attached to inner and outer surfaces of the waistband in the region of overlap. The waist size of the skirt is adjustable by providing a range of overlap of the free ends 33, 34 and the cooperating, opposed fastening tapes 35, 36, which may be attached to the waistband as a series of discrete tabs rather than an elongated strip, or one short tab portion and one elongated portion, or two elongated portions.

The user of the backpack simply puts her arms through the shoulder straps 20, 21 (which may be adjusted through straps 23, 24 by effectively lengthening or shortening them in the buckles 25, 26) and then adjustably secures the opposed free ends 33, 34 of the skirt in juxtaposition to complete a tubular skirt by joining the opposed Velcro® tapes 35, 36 in a position corresponding to the waist size of the wearer.

The look of the new combination backpack-skirt can be further enhanced by application of an image (such as the upper torso of a ballet dancer) to the rear wall 13 which is coordinated by color or otherwise to the skirt (in the case of a ballet motif) which may be a tutu. Additional ornamentation such as a bow 40 may be sewn to the skirt 12.

It should be understood, of course, that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention. 

1. A combination backpack-skirt comprising: (a) a backpack having a front wall, rear wall, and side wall with top and bottom portions defining a closed storage space; (b) a decorative tubular skirt having at least one fabric layer and a waistband; (c) said layer attached to said waistband; (d) said waistband and said layer having first and second free edges; (e) a portion of said waistband fastened to the rear wall and side wall with the free ends disposed opposite to said front wall; (f) fastening means associated with the waistband free ends to selectively secure the fabric free ends in overlapping relation to establish a closed tubular skirt.
 2. The combination backpack-skirt of claim 1 in which (a) said fastening means comprises opposed hooked and looped tape segments affixed to end portions of said waistband.
 3. The combination backpack-skirt of claim 1 in which (a) adjustable shoulder strap means affixed to said rear wall; (b) zipper closure means disposed in top portions of said side wall. 